Throwback Thursday: Kaskade Through The Ages

Kaskade announces 9th album and special pre-order

Kaskade (aka Ryan Raddon) has long been a pioneer in the electronic dance music industry. The four-time GRAMMY nominated artist was the first DJ from the United States to secure a Las Vegas residency, the first solo electronic dance artist to sell out Barclays Center, and the first dance artist to sell out Navy Pier and the Staples Center (during his Freaks of Nature Tour). He also shows no signs of slowing down, having just announced that his ninth studio album is set to come out in the fall.

Kaskade began his musical journey all the way back in 2001 with the release of his first single, “What I Say,” but I started following his career in 2006 when he released Love Mysterious. With his new album just on the horizon, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at the evolution of his sound since that release.

One of the first Kaskade songs I ever heard was Love Mysterious’ “4am.” Despite being just under a decade old now, the track’s timeless sound will still continue to be an all-time favorite.

Another great song from Love Mysterious is “Be Still,” from which the album takes its name. The song’s message is an unusual one to direct at a dance music audience, but at the same time, it definitely resonates. These two tracks sum up Kaskade’s “classic sound,” which is quite different from that of his current productions.

One of my all-time favorite albums, Strobelite Seduction, also contains one of my all time favorite Kaskade songs, “I Remember.” This collaboration with Deadmau5 is revered by both Kaskade and Deadmau5 fans alike.

Kaskade’s 2010 release, Dynasty, brought with it a bit of a turned-up sound and another collaboration with an electronic giant, Tiesto. Haley again joined in on vocals for this track, and the result is fantastic.

The title track from the album, “Dynasty” (ft. Haley), is a great representation of the sound found on the rest of the album. It’s at this point that Kaskade really began to come into his own and establish his musical dynasty.

As dance music exploded onto the national spotlight, Kaskade’s tours quickly began selling out and his audience began expanding beyond what normal music venues could hold. A well-meaning tweet incited a riot on Hollywood Blvd, and since then Kaskade’s only grown in popularity, with his next two albums, Fire & Ice and the travel-themed Atmosphere, both earning GRAMMY nominations for best dance/electronica album.

Now the latest exciting news: Kaskade just announced that every ticket to his Encore Beach Club and XS residency tour purchased online will include a digital download of his brand-new album when it’s released! Purchase tickets and secure your pre-order now to enjoy the next evolution of Kaskade as soon as possible.

I’ll leave you with the first single off this highly anticipated album: